


Glitch

by Cixalea



Series: Linked Universe [2]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:55:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21584122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cixalea/pseuds/Cixalea
Summary: Wild summons Wolfie — while Twilight is already there.Or: Another take on Twilight's memory (or lack thereof) of being in Wild's world previously.
Relationships: Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555531
Comments: 11
Kudos: 294





	Glitch

“Look, Twilight! There’s one of the most distinctive rock formations in all of my Hyrule. You remember what they’re called, right? Two words, starts with a ‘D’? ...Dueling…? ...Dueling Peaks. That’s fair. Geography wasn’t the strongest memory jogger for me either.”

* * *

“How about this? It’s an Electro Meat Skewer. I made you eat a ton of these because you wouldn’t take an Electro Elixir and you have that chain on your paw. ...Oh. Don’t worry. We’ll try something else.”

* * *

“Do you remember this? This was a Bokoblin camp that I was having trouble with and had to summon you here. You saved my life. ...Well, I suppose Bokoblin camps look similar.”

* * *

“This is the biggest horse I’ve ever seen! You have to remember her, ranch hand! ...Or not.”

* * *

It broke Twilight’s heart in half to see Wild so frustrated, but he’d honestly never seen this building in his life.

“This is my house.” Wild’s voice wavered. “You would sleep at the foot of my bed. We  _ lived _ here.”

When the rest of the group caught up, Wild led them all inside. He made a big meal for them, and they enjoyed one of the first nights where no one had to take watch in a long time. Everyone was too exhausted and fell asleep too early that night to ask Wild why he was more subdued than usual even though he was back in his own Hyrule.

When Twilight woke up, it was still just Wild, Time, and himself in the house. The others must have been sleeping in at the inn. Wild’s bed was big enough for Wild plus one other person (and one wolf), so to save some rupees, they volunteered Time to stay because the old man needed to have some support for his back. He rolled his eyes but didn’t actually refuse. Twilight tried to humor Wild and slept at the foot of the bed in wolf form, trying his best to jog a memory that he was pretty certain he didn’t have. And in the morning, he still had no recollection. He yawned and stretched before shifting back to human form and going downstairs.

Wild was cooking up a storm. The smell of breakfast likely being what woke Twilight in the first place. He sat down next to Time at the table. The old man was drinking something warm that had to be one of Wild’s concoctions.

Before Twilight could greet them, Time gave him a look and nodded toward Wild. Twilight gave him an exasperated look in response, but Time’s gaze only got sharper and the protege relented.

He got up and made his way over to Wild. “Good morning. Breakfast smells amazing! Do you need any help?”

“I’m fine. Thanks.” It was flat. Hollow.

Twilight’s heart sank. He thought a second about leaving, but Time threw an arm out toward Wild while his back was turned. Twilight ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“It’s not your fault, you know.”

Twilight was taken off guard by Wild’s suddeness.

“You can’t help not remembering things. I should know that better than anyone else.” Wild stirred the boiling rice porridge in slow and lazy circles, his gaze distant and masked.

“Hey, champion, don’t give up on me yet.” Twilight playfully shoved Wild in the shoulder. “Something will jog my memory. We just haven’t found the right trigger.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“You just gotta be persistent. Keep talking about back then. Like, how did you even go about summoning me back then anyway?”

Wild patted the device on his hip. “What do you think?”

Twilight rolled his eyes. Everything was because of this magic slate. “Could you still do it now?”

“I mean, I hadn’t thought about it. But maybe?”

“Why don’t you try it? See if I get teleported over there? That oughta trigger something.”

Wild unhooked his slate and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. Twilight didn’t particularly like the Sheikah Slate, so it was obvious that it was merely because Twilight was trying to make him feel better that he was allowing him to use it and possibly teleport him.

The summoning circle appeared on the other side of the room, and when Wild clicked, there was the sharp ring that signaled a registered summon attempt.

Against all odds, Wild heard the melody of Wolfie being summoned and even the black, Twilight particles appeared, piecing the large wolf together.

There was moment of pause where all three of them stood in awe of the fact there were now two manifestations of Twilight there in the same room.

Then it all shattered.

It was the thump of Twilight falling to his knees that jolted Wild from his amazement. The human Twilight was gripping his head and squeezing his eyes shut like he was hearing an unbearably loud noise.

Wolfie whimpered, stumbling forward until he bumped his nose into Wild’s side.

Time was the first one to leap into action. He caught Twilight before he fell over, and the younger squirmed uncontrollably in his arms as if he were being electrocuted.

“Wild, what’s happening?”

Wild looked at his Sheikah Slate that was beeping furiously. ‘ERROR’ messages scrolled ceaselessly across the glitching screen too fast for him to actually translate any of the Sheikah text.

“I don’t know. Something went wrong with the summon.” He tapped experimentally on the screen, but nothing happened.

Wolfie yelped loudly like had been struck just as Twilight started to scream.

Twilight looked so much smaller without his chainmail and furs on. He looked like a scared child in his father’s arms. And even more so, Time looked like a scared father, unsure of what to do to help his suffering child. It was the most uncomposed he’d ever seen the old man.

Wild crouched beside Wolfie, and his heart clenched at the look in the creature’s blue eyes. Underneath the overwhelming pain was an unmistakable look of recognition and fondness. Of a time-forged bond. This Wolfie—Wild’s Wolfie—nudged his head into the Hylian’s hand, but he wasn’t sure who was trying to comfort who.

Wild couldn’t even get his voice to work to apologize to his companion. His brain was stuck, unable to do anything.

Twilight let out a particularly strong cry of pain, back arching in misery. Wild flinched.

“Send him back!”

He looked at Time who pointed to the Slate.

“Unsummon Wolfie now!” It was an order.

Wild wasn’t sure there was a way to  _ un _ summon something, but he knew that Wolfie would disappear if he got too far away. While it was unconventional, Wild picked up the Slate again and teleported himself to the first Shrine he could find.

When he finally made it back to the house, Wolfie was gone, and Time had put Twilight up in Wild’s bed. Wild froze at the top of the stairs, unsure if he could make himself approach Twilight after he’d just effectively tortured him.

“I’m fine,” Twilight said gently when he saw the younger appear. “Time’s just overprotective.”

Time got up and led Wild slowly by the wrist over to the bed.

Wild could feel tears welling in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. I don’t know what happened.”

“I’m so sorry that I don’t remember being one of your companions because clearly you were right. That was definitely me. I know memory’s a sensitive thing for you. I just wish I wasn’t part of the problem.”

“You know, maybe the Slate summons Wolfie from when Twilight’s older than he is now.” Time crossed his arms in thought. “For you Wild, it was the past, but for Twilight, it could all be a part of his future. It hasn’t happened for him yet. That’s why he doesn’t remember it.”

Wild’s jaw dropped. “That...makes sense.” He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that before.

“Good work, Time. Guess you’re living up to your name, huh?”

Time smooshed his hand into Twilight’s hair, effectively messing it up completely.

Wild smile only grew and grew. There was always a little voice in the back of Wild’s mind that made him worry if they would make it out of this adventure alive. All of them had completed their quests. Some of them several times. They did their jobs, their duties as those with the Hero’s spirit, so who knew if they were just expendable to the Goddess now?

But if Wolfie was really Twilight when he was older, from after this multi-hero adventure was over, that meant that at least Twilight survived. There was hope for them all.

“Is something burning?” Hyrule called out. Apparently the rest of them were back from the inn.

“Breakfast!” Wild shouted before vaulting over the railing back to the ground floor.

The porridge was a molten mass of contamination that Wind claimed looked like it would start spawning Chuchus at any moment. But even in the face of having to restart breakfast, Wild smiled.

Even though everyone would have to say goodbye after this adventure, Twilight would get to see Wild again someday. Which meant that technically, Wild would get to see Twilight again—although he wouldn’t remember. But, hey, what else was new?

Maybe those who had the spirit of the Hero, maybe their destinies were much more intertwined than they thought? Maybe this wouldn’t be this group’s only adventure together? After all, if most of them had had multiple adventures on their own, who was to say they wouldn’t have multiple adventures together as a team?

For the first time that Wild could remember, he was actually looking forward to the future because for the first time, he had something to look forward to.

**Author's Note:**

> Yup. I'm a sucker for all of these different takes on Twilight's recollection of Wild's world. Vague impressions? Remembers in dreams? Memories flashes like Wild does? I love them all, and will read every single fic I can find about it like a feral squirrel. 
> 
> But if I had to headcanon one of the versions, I think I would probably go with this theory (where Twilight doesn't remember anything because it happens in his future). I haven't seen a whole lot of fics on Twilight not remembering anything where it's an actual plot point, so I decided to explore that a little.
> 
> I'm very curious about Jojo's take on it. Until it gets addressed, I will just keep reading/writing fanfics like I always to.
> 
> So I obviously took some liberties in this fic with the actual game mechanics:  
> -You can't bring/summon Wolf Link in towns or buildings, but he will disappear if you teleport.  
> -You also can't feed Wolf Link things that you cook, but he will eat meat from drops if you don't pick it up.  
> -I don't think Wolf Link actually attracts lightning.
> 
> I really wish that Wolf Link was upgraded to an actual companion in BotW 2 or that you could actually meet him/learn from him like you do from the Hero's Shade in Twilight Princess. I've seen so much fanart and fanfiction and positive response in general for the passing of the torch from one Hero to the next in Japanese as well as English (and even Korean) that I think it would be something that all their fans would love to see it in the sequel, but who knows. Rumor has it that we won't have to wait very long for our questions to be answered anyway.
> 
> What's your favorite fanfic you've read about Twilight remembering (or not remembering) being Wolfie/Wild's Hyrule? Please send me links. (No pun intended.) I have a mighty need.
> 
> So anyway, thanks for reading! Definitely more fics on the way.


End file.
